Cleveland Museum of Art Atrium (25 images)

The final addition to the renovation of the Cleveland Museum of Art is the 39,000 sq.ft. Ames Family Atrium. Almost as big as a football field, this five-story space is topped with an arched expanse of glass giving the illusion of being outdoors. Being one of Cleveland's largest gathering places, the atrium's completion encompasses vision of Rafael Vinoly to have a light-filled common area connecting the community to it's art....more »

Cleveland Museum of Art Atrium
Cleveland, Ohio

The final addition to the renovation of the Cleveland Museum of Art is the 39,000 sq.ft. Ames Family Atrium. Almost as big as a football field, this five-story space is topped with an arched expanse of glass giving the illusion of being outdoors. Being one of Cleveland's largest gathering places, the atrium's completion encompasses vision of Rafael Vinoly to have a light-filled common area connecting the community to it's art. The Atrium connects the original 1916 museum building to the 1971 Marcel Breuer building and is flanked by the CMA's new east and west wing galleries. An analysis of the 1916 facade structure determined it could support the glass-and-mullion atrium roof, which rises in a gentle curve to a height of 61 feet, atop a row of slender steel columns that make it appear to float above the old museum. To prevent condensation on the glass, the architects employed an integrated technology widely used in Europe: Hot water is pumped through the mullions in the cold months, and cold water during the summer.